Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki, often referred to mononymously as Ichiro, is a Japanese professional baseball right fielder for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball. He has spent the bulk of his career with two teams: the Orix Blue Wave of Nippon Professional Baseballin Japan, where he began his professional career, and the Seattle Mariners of MLB in the United States. After playing for the Mariners, he played two and a half seasons in MLB with the New York Yankees. Ichiro has...
NationalityJapanese
ProfessionBaseball Player
Date of Birth22 October 1973
CountryJapan
I feel really proud I'm one of only two to be playing in the final. I sense Major League Baseball is hurting a little bit.
I think we have to rethink, because now we are on the big stage, and the Americans are a big-stage team. In the Asian round, we felt we had to worry about not only winning, but playing good for the (home) fans. Here, we have one purpose only.
Physically, I'm fine. All I have to do is start playing games and get my timing back, those kinds of things. Physically, it's no problem at all. Mentally, we all have to pull ourselves together as a team. We're now playing with 'Japan' on our chests and we need to concentrate more.
I felt the spirit and smartness of the Japanese players while playing with this team. It was a great team and I wish I could play major league games with this team for one season.
I like the glove to be a little loose,
It's such a shame. It's such a pity.
It's not an ideal thing for a player to think, but I really didn't care if I would get injured in this game. That's how much I really wanted to win this one. That's how we were driven to this championship.
Everyone got a chance to make contact with the ball and we are feeling the groove now. I'm the only one not quite feeling it yet.
The fans cheering me on, when I play well they clap their hands for me. They're really great.
I'm really proud that I'm only one of two players from Major League Baseball in the final game. I sense MLB is hurting a little bit.
In a tournament like this one, it's important to be the team that scores first.
I want to be the kind of player, ... where the fans can look to me and think it's just another day, another performance.
They are very confident. They are united as a team. They have a better chance to bring out the best in themselves.
This was the most humiliating day of my baseball career.